Door edge switch means



Jan. 21, 1964 R. H. KOENIG 3,118,984

. DOOR EDGE SWITCH MEANS Filed April 12, 1961 INVENTOR.

ROBERT H. KOEN IG BY g w United States Patent ice 3,118,984 DOOR EDGE SWITCH MEANS Robert H. Koenig, Cambria Heights, N.Y., assignor to Tapeswitch Corporation of America, Cambria Heights, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 102,475 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-61.43)

This invention relates to safety switches for automatically operating doors or movable members and more particularly to a tape type switch adapted to fit edges of doors.

Many doors of garages, elevators, buses, subway cars and other conveyances are automatically operated, and in order to protect members of the public from getting caught in the doors, a safety edge switch is generally incorporated to reopen the doors when they close on a person or object.

Prior door safety devices have included:

(1) Bars mounted on a linkage and connected to a switch;

(2) A cable stretched between the top and bottom of the door edge and adapted to pull a switch; and

(3) Tubing of plastic or rubber filled with liquid or air pressure mounted on the door edge and adapted to activate a switch.

The present invention is an improvement on the prior art systems in that it has fewer parts, less critical adjustments, and is more sensitive. The mechanical structure lends itself to simple manufacture by extrusion which is an inexpensive process. The switch of the present invention will operate with about 6 ounces of pressure. The switch of the present invention, besides being less expensive than prior methods, may be installed on a door without removing the door or making any alterations on the door.

The present invention provides a tape switch mounted in the door edge or in a separate channel connected adjacent the door edge comprising a pair of contact strips insulated from each other but adapted to contact upon any force applied to the door edge. The contact strips may be thin strips of any spring conductor. The switches of the present invention are made in approximately seven foot lengths for conventional doors and are adapted to be easily attached to a door edge. The invention may be made or cut to any length for other applications.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved safety means for automatic doors.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved tape type switches for mounting on any moving members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sensitive edge switch for doors which is sensitive to side thrust as well as direct pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved tape type switches.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specifications and drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view partially in section along line 2-2 of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an alternate mounting for the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 and 4A are diagrams illustrating the operation of the invention, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views of other embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the figures, the invention generally comprises a hollow body member 1 which is adapted to be 3,118,984 Patented Jan. 21, 19-64 mounted on a door edge 2, for instance by cementing. The body member 1 may be of any length depending upon the size of the door. The body member is preferably made of rubber or equivalent insulating material that is easily squeezed together. A pair of conductive strips 3 and 4 are mounted on opposite interior surfaces of the body member 1 along the center plane thereof, which would also be the central plane through the door 2. The conductive strips may be of copper braided wire which is half embedded in or otherwise atlixed to the body member 1 in such a manner that when the body member is squeezed together there will be an electrical contact between the strips 3 and 4. The contact strips are preferably flexible and formed like a flat tape, for instance like braided ground straps.

A pair of wires 5 and 6 are connected to the contacts 3 and 4 for the purpose of actuating the door opening or closing motor, or other device.

An actuator member 7 is connected to the exterior of said body member 1 along the center plane thereof on the side away from the side upon which the body' member is mounted on the door. The actuator member 7 preferably has a V-shape cross section so that it will actuate the electrical contact when moved by side thrust as well as by a direct force.

A hollow cover member 10 is adapted to enclose both the body member 1 and the actuator member 7 along the entire length of the door. The ends of the V-shaped actuator member 7 are connected to the interior surface of the cover member 10, which is preferably of a thin flexible rubber construction so that it will be easily deformed and will yield upon striking an object such as an arm or a leg.

The edges 10a, 10b of the cover member 10 preferably extend beyond the end of the door and are cemented, nailed or screwed onto the side edges of the door.

The upper and lower ends of the cover member 10 are preferably sealed over to make the interior of the cover member waterproof and to prevent dirt and other extraneous matter from getting inside.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate method of mounting the cover member 10 on a door 2 where for some reason it cannot be mounted on both side edges. In this case, a right angle bracket 12 is used and one of the edges 10a of the cover member is folded over between bracket 12 and the door edge. The other edge 10b of the cover member is mounted to the bracket 12 and the door along the other side edge of the door. FIG. 3 also shows a heater cable 13 mounted along the hollow interior of the cover member 10 between the open V-shaped portions of the actuator 7. Heaters may be desirable to prevent doors from freezing closed under adverse weather conditions.

FIG. 4 shows how the invention will operate upon the application of a side thrust S. Due tothe V-shape construction of the actuator member 7 a component of the side thrust will be directed along one leg of the actuator member, causing the closing of the contacts 3 and 4. If there is no need to provide for side thrusts in a particular application, then the actuator member could be made of a single flat piece instead of the V-shape configuration shown. If desired more than two vanes or legs could be employed.

FIG. 4A illustrates the operation of the invention upon the application of a direct force F being applied to the cover member 10. The application of the force causes the cover member to bow out as illustrated and forces the apex of the actuator member 7 against the body member 1, causing the member 1 to be squeezed together, thereby causing mechanical and electrical contact between the conductive strips 3' and 4.

FIGS. and 6 show other modifications wherein a tape switch of the types shown in my Patents 2,896,042, granted July 7, 1959, and Re. 24,54 1, granted September 23, 1958, may be inserted inside the body members 21, 21. The advantage of this arrangement is that the tapeswitch combinations may be removable. They generally comprise a pair of conductive strips 22, 23 and 22, 23 which are mounted in resilient covers with insulation along their edges so that they make contact when the cover is deformed.

The present invention has the following advantages:

(1) It may be mounted on doors of various widths from A wide to 3" wide by simple cementing or with screws and moulding.

(2) It permits simple straddle mounting as in 'FIG. 1, or unilateral mounting as shown in FIG. 3.

(3) It is responsive (closes its electrical contacts which are normally open) to thrusts from either side as well as head on forces, as shown in FIG. 4. This is a distinct advantage, and a safety feature.

(4) Its switching element is away from the sensing edge where it would be most subject to damage from abuse and from water.

(5) It permits the simple use of an electrical heater cable as in FIG. 3 to prevent freezing to the ground in frigid area garage installations. The heater cable is simply inserted in the available space.

(6) While this invention describes numerous mechanical parts and members, it should be pointed out that this structure can be extruded simply and inexpensively.

Many modifications may be made by those who desire to practice the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An edge switch for doors comprising an elongated hollow elastic body member adapted to be mounted along a door edge, a pair of conductive strips mounted on opposite interior surfaces of said body member along the center plane of said body member, an actuator member connected at one end to the exterior of said body member along said center plane on the exterior surface of said body member whichis away from said door edge, and a flexible hollow cover member, the interior surface of said cover member being connected to the other end of said actuator member, the edges of said cover member being adapted to be connected to said door.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said actuator member has a V-shaped cross section, the apex of said V-shape being connected to said body member and the ends of said V-shape portion being connected to the interior surface of said cover member.

3. An edge switch for doors comprising an elongated hollow elastic insulating body' member adapted to be mounted along a door edge, a pair of conductive members mounted on opposite interior surfaces of said body member along the center plane of said body member, an actuator member connected at one end to the exterior of said body member along said center plane on the exterior surface of said body member which is away from said door edge, and a flexible hollow cover member, the interior surface of said cover member being connected to the other end of said actuator member, the edges of said cover member being adapted to be connected to said door, said actuator member having a V-shaped cross section, the apex of said -V-shape being connected to said body member and the ends of said V-shape portion being connected to the interior surface of said cover member, whereby said actuator is responsive. to pressure against it from at least on either side of the center plane of said door to cause said conductive members to make con-tact.

4. An edge switch for doors comprising an elongated hollow elastic insulating body member adapted to be mounted along a door edge, a pair of conductive strips mounted on opposite interior surfaces of said body memher along the center plane of said body member, an actuator member connected at one end to the exterior of said body member along said center plane on the exterior surface of said body member which is away from said door edge, and means to connect said actuator member to said door so that said actuator member is responsive to front and side pressure to cause contact between said conductive strips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

4. AN EDGE SWITCH FOR DOORS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW ELASTIC INSULATING BODY MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ALONG A DOOR EDGE, A PAIR OF CONDUCTIVE STRIPS MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE INTERIOR SURFACES OF SAID BODY MEMBER ALONG THE CENTER PLANE OF SAID BODY MEMBER, AN ACTUATOR MEMBER CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER ALONG SAID CENTER PLANE ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER WHICH ISS AWAY FROM SAID DOOR EDGE, AND MEANS TO CONNECT SAID ACTUATOR MEMBER TO SAID DOOR SO THAT SAID ACTUATOR MEMBER IS RESPONSIVE TO FRONT AND SIDE PRESSURE TO CAUSE CONTACT BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTIVE STRIPS. 